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WKU News

It's time to spring clean your diet

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Author: Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Spring has arrived, and with longer days and warmer weather comes a new crop of fresh produce. It's the perfect season to "spring clean" your diet, so out with the heavy fall and winter fare and in with springtime fruits and veggies. In-season produce reaps the most nutritional value so here's what to look for on the produce aisle or at the local farmers' market.

Strawberries

Strawberries are available year-round in most areas of the country, but their peak season is from April until June. These sweet, juicy berries are nutritional jewels with just 1 cup offering 3.5 grams of fiber and meeting 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. For the best flavor, buy strawberries grown close to home since they are likely to be fresher and suffer less damage in transit. Strawberries should be plump, firm, well shaped, and uniformly colored. A sweet addition to salads, dressings, or even a main meal, strawberries "take the cake" and save your waistline as a light dessert.

Succulent sweet cherries are only available during the late spring and early summer, so make sure to enjoy your fill. Sweet cherries are high in fiber and potassium, while remaining low in calories -- just 1 cup of sweet cherries is about 100 calories. The intense color of cherries is due partly to their anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins are a type of plant chemical (phytochemical) that are believed to be high in antioxidant activity. The best cherries are large (an inch or more in diameter), plump, firm, and rich in color and are equally delicious as a snack or dessert.

For a burst of flavor with very few calories, look no further than the radish. Radishes are root vegetables with a distinctive flavor that ranges from mild to sharp, depending on variety. One cup of sliced red radishes will give you 30 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement in less than 25 calories. To choose the best, pick radishes that are deep in color with solid roots. This root vegetable is a flavorful addition to soups, condiments, and cooked dishes. You can also eat the green tops, which lends a peppery taste to salads.

Beans

With their rich, hearty flavor, fava beans are a terrific addition to soups, salads, or main dishes. Due to their high protein and fiber content, these beans help to keep you feeling full for longer. Young favas can be shelled and eaten raw or cooked, but more mature favas must be both shelled and skinned, as the skins are too tough to eat.

Artichokes

While artichokes are harvested year-round, the crop peaks from March through May. A 2-ounce serving (approximately the size of the bottom of one large artichoke) has about 3 grams of fiber and just 25 calories. Artichokes are also a good source of iron, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamin C. Try them served in dips, or bake and toss in pastas or salads.

Rhubarb

Although technically a vegetable, rhubarb is often used as a fruit and is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Rhubarb stalks (the only part of the plant that should be eaten) are very tart but when sweetened, give rich flavor and texture to sauces and pies. Rhubarb can also be blanched, diced, and added to salsas and salads. Rhubarb is available in some locations year-round, however, field-grown varieties are harvested from April through July.